Box spring construction



Aug. 29, 1967 L. w. SWATT BOX SPRING CONSTRUCTION Filed Aug. 2, 1965 INVENTOR. Z Ea/v420 W 5144477 mud box spring of the United States Patent 3,337,882 BOX SPRING CONSTRUCTION Leonard W. Swatt, Los Angeles, Calif., assignor to Acme Spring Co., Los Angeles, Calif., a corporation of California Filed Aug. 2, 1965, Ser. No. 476,463 8 Claims. (Cl. -239) The present invention relates to improvements in bed assemblies and more particularly to a novel box spring construction.

It is common today for bed assemblies to include both a mattress and a box spring. The box spring usually rests upon cross slats in the bed frame and provides firm, yet resilient, vertical support for the mattress. To this end, most box spring constructions include a rectangular support frame, carrying a plurality of vertically extending coil springs and a top insulating pad all enclosed by a suitable fabric.

In some box spring constructions, the frame is formed of relatively thin, lightweight wood members. Although such constructions are fairly inexpensive, they are also comparatively flimsy and do not provide firm, long-lasting support for either the coil springs or the associated mattress.

In the more expensive constructions, greater strength is provided, particularly at the outer edges of the frame. Unfortunately, this is generally accomplished by merely forming the support frame of thicker, heavier pieces of wood, thereby producing heavier, bulkier box spring constructions which are diflicult to handle both in construction and shipping. 7

In view of the foregoing, it is an object of the present invention to provide a box spring construction which possesses great strength, particularly at its edges, yet which is still comparatively lightweight in its over-all construction.

Another object of this invention is to provide a box spring of the foregoing type which is relatively simple and inexpensive to manufacture.

A further object of this invention is to provide a strong box spring construction which is easy to handle both during construction and shipment, particularly when compared with present day constructions having similar strength characteristics.

The foregoing, as well as other objects and advantages of this invention, may be more clearly understood by reference to the following detailed description when taken with the drawing which illustrates, by way of example only, one form of the box spring of the present invention.

In the drawing:

FIGURE 1 is a perspective view of one form of the present invention with an edge portion broken away to expose its inner construction including a lower support frame carrying a plurality of coil springs covered by an insulating pad;

FIGURE 2 is a perspective view of the support frame of FIGURE I viewed from the bottom, illustrating the construction of the frame;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 33 in FIGURE 2, illustrating the construction of the side members of the frame;

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view along the line 4-4 in FIGURE 2, illustrating the construction of the end members of the frame; and

FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary perspective view of a modified support frame viewed from the top.

In the drawing, the illustrated form of the box spring is represented generally by the numeral and includes a support frame 12 carrying a number of coil springs 14. Pads 16 and 18 overlie the top of the coil springs to insulate the top of the coils and provide a firm, yet comfortable, top for the box spring. To complete the structure, the top of the pad18 and sides of the box spring are covered with a suitable fabric 20 connected to the underside of the frame.

' The coils, pads and cover fabric may be of conventional design. The frame 12, however, is of a unique interlocking construction which provides the box spring 10 with great strength, while maintaining a relatively light overall structure that is easy to handle and relatively inexpensive to manufacture.

To accomplish this, the support frame 12 comprises unitary left and right side members 22 and 24, front and rear end members 26 and 28, and a plurality of cross members 30 extending between the left and right side members to support the coil springs 14. As illustrated most clearly in FIGURES 2 and 3, the side members 22 and 24 are single pieces of wood each having an L-shaped cross section with a relatively long horizontal leg 32 and a relatively short vertical leg 34 extending along the outer edge of the frame. In this manner, the side members have a maximum thickness at their outer edges to provide maximum edge support for the cross pieces 30 which are connected to and rest upon the upper surface of the horizontal legs. By the same token, the L-shaped arrangement of the side members materially reduces the weight of the frame while maintaining a high strength in flexure, particularly when compared with a structure employing rectangular pieces of wood having a similar edge thickness.

The L-shaped cross sectional design of the side members 22 and 24 also accommodates the connection of the front and rear end members 26 and 28 to provide a relatively smooth, fiat lower surface for the frame. In this regard, the end members preferably take the form of flat wooden boards having opposing end portions connected to the underside of the horizontal legs 32 with ends abutting the vertical legs 34. In this position, the front and rear end members 26 and 28, together with the cross pieces 30, securely connect the side members 22 and 24.

The solid front and rear connection between the side members 22 and 24 is further enhanced by the positioning of certain of the cross pieces 30 immediately above the front and rear members 26 and 28. These cross members are represented by the numerals 31 and 33 and as illustrated most clearly in FIGURE 4, are wider than the other cross members with outer edges extending along the front and rear ends of the side members.

To still further increase the rigidity of the frame construction, corner braces 36 and 38 are included between the front and rear end members 26 and 28 and the side members 24 and 22. Preferably, the corner brace 38 is of a flat triangular construction and is fixedly connected to the bottom of the horizontal leg 32 of the side member 22 with an edge secured to the rear edge of the rear member 28. In this position, the bottom of the brace 36 is flush with the bottom of the side member 22 and the rear member.

The brace 36 is of a similar construction and is fixedly connected to the horizontal leg of the side member 24 side members 22 and 24, the edge structure of the frame is particularly strong to provide firm vertical support for the springs carrying cross members 30, while maintaining the structure relatively lightweight. Since the structure is comparatively lightweight, it is relatively easy to handle both during construction and shipping.

p A modified form of support frame possessing the foregoing features and advantages is illustrated in FIGURE 5 and represented by the numeral 12. Elements of the frame 12, which are similar to the elements of the frame 12 are denoted by the same numeral with a prime notation, As represented, the major difference between the frames 12 and 12' resides in the fact that the side members 22' and 24 (not shown) are inverted (relative to 22 and 24) and the cross pieces 30' are carried by the top of'the horizontal legs 32' and abut the inside of vertical legs 34'. The arrangement of the rear and front end members 28' and 26' (not shown) and corner braces 36' (not shown) and 38' are as before. Here, however, fewer cross pieces 30' are included to accommodate the corner braces. Also the end cross braces 31 and 33 are deleted and filler members 40 added between the side members 22 and 24 immediately below the front and rear end members.

In the foregoing, a specific form of box spring and two forms of support frames have been described in some detail. Changes and modifications, however, may occur to those skilled in the art without departing from the spirit of this invention. Therefore, it is intended that the present invention be limited in scope only by the following claims.

I claim:

1. In a box spring construction, a frame comprising:

opposing right and left side members each formed. of a single piece of wood and each having a generally L-shaped cross section with a horizontal leg and a vertical leg extending downwardly along an outside edge of the side member;

a plurality of spring-carrying cross members extending between and resting upon the upper surfaces of said horizontal legs, the ends of each of said cross members extending over said vertical legs of said side members;

j and front and rear end members extending between and connected to the underside of said horizontal legs with ends abutting said vertical legs.

' 2. In a box spring construction, a frame comprising:

opposing right and left side members each formed of a single piece of wood and each having a generally L-shaped cross section with a horizontal leg and a vertical leg extending downwardly along an outside edge of the side member;

a plurality of cross members extending between and connected to the upper surfaces of said horizontal legs of said right and left side members, the ends of each of said cross members horizontal legs and over said vertical legs of said side members, and the sides of two of said cross members extending horizontally along front and rear ends of said side members;

and front and rear end members extending between and connected to the underside of said horizontal legs of said right and left side members with ends abutting said vertical legs and sides extending along the front and rear ends of said side members.

3. In a box spring construction, a frame comprising:

opposing right and left side members each formed of a single piece of wood and each having a generally L-shaped cross section with a horizontal leg and a vertical leg extending downwardly along an outside edge of the side member;

a plurality of spring carrying cross members extending between and resting upon the upper surfaces of said horizontal legs, the ends of each of said cross members extending ,over said vertical legs to the outside edges thereof;

front and rear end members extending between and connected to the underside of said horizontal legs with ends abutting said vertical legs;

- and a corner bracket extending between and connected to a rear side of said front end member and the extending across said underside of the horizontal leg of one of said side members.

4. In a box spring construction, a frame comprising:

opposing right and left side members each formed of a single piece of wood and each having a generally L-shaped cross section with a horizontal leg and a vertical leg extending downwardly along an outside edge of the side member;

a plurality of cross members extending between and connected to the upper surfaces of said horizontal legs of said right and left side members, the ends of each of said cross members continuing over said vertical legs of said right and left side members, and the sides of two of said cross members extending horizontally along front and rear ends of said side members;

front and rear end members extending between and connected to the underside of said horizontal legs of said right and left side members with ends abutting said vertical legs and sides extending along the front and rear ends of said side members;

and a pair of corner brackets, one extending between and connected to a rear edge of said front end member and the underside of the horizontal leg of one of said side members and the other extending between and connected to a front side of said rear end member and the underside of the horizontal leg of the other of said side members.

5. A box spring construction comprising:

a support frame including opposing right and left side members each having a generally L-shaped cross section with a horizontal leg and a vertical leg extending downwardly along an outside edge of the member, and a plurality of cross members between and resting upon the upper surfaces of said horizontal legs with the ends of said cross members continuing over said vertical legs to the outside edges thereof;

a plurality of springs carried by said cross members;

and a material covering said springs and the outsides of said frame.

6. A box spring construction comprising:

a support frame including opposing right and left side members each formed of a single piece of wood and each having a generally L-shaped cross section'with a horizontal leg and a vertical leg extending downwardly along an outside edge of the member, a plurality of cross members between and resting upon the upper surfaces of said horizontal legs and extending over said vertical legs to the outside edges thereof;

front and rear end members extending between and connected to the underside of said horizontal legs with ends abutting said vertical legs;

a pair of corner brackets, one extending between and connecting the inside edge of said front end member and the underside of the horizontal leg of one of said side members and the other extending between and connecting the inside edge of said rear end member and the underside of the horizontal leg of the other of said side members;

and a plurality of springs carried by said cross members.

7. A box spring construction comprising:

a support frame including opposing right and left side members each formed of a single piece of wood and each having a generally L-shaped cross section with a horizontal leg and a vertical leg extending downwardly along an outside edge of the member, a plurality of cross members between and resting upon the upper surfaces of said horizontal legs and extending over said vertical legs;

front and rear end members extending between and connected to the underside of said horizontal legs with ends abutting said vertical legs;

a plurality of springs carried by said cross members;

and a material covering said springs and the outsides of said frame.

8. A box spring construction comprising:

a support frame including opposing right and left side members each formed of a single piece of wood and each having a generally L-shaped cross section with a horizontal leg and a vertical leg extending downwardly along an outside edge of the side member; a plurality of cross members extending between and connected to the upper surfaces of said horizontal legs of said right and left side members, the ends of each of said cross members extending over said ver- 10 tical legs of said right and left side members, and the sides of tWo of said cross members extending References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS horizontally along front and rear ends of said side E 32 members; I 1 front and rear end members extending between and 15 22 -5'- 1 connected to the n rside of said horizontal legs of 31086576 3/1963 cerzigi 4 said right and left side members with ends abutting said vertical legs and sides extending along the front and rear ends of said side members;

a pair of corner brackets, one extending between and connected along the rearwardly facing edge of said front end member and along the underside of the DAVID J. WILLIAMOWSKY, Primary Examiner. 2O FRANK B. SHERRY, Examiner.

R. D. KRAUS, Assistant Examiner. 

1. IN A BOX SPRING CONSTRUCTION, A FRAME COMPRISING: OPPOSING RIGHT AND LEFT SIDE MEMBERS EACH FROMED OF A SINGLE PIECE OF WOOD AND EACH HAVING A GENERALLY L-SHAPED CROSS SECTION WITH A HORIZONTAL LEG AND A VERTICAL LEG EXTENDING DOWNWARDLY ALONG AN OUTSIDE EDGE OF THE SIDE MEMBER; A PLURALITY OF SPRING-CARRYING CROSS MEMBERS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND RESTING UPON THE UPPER SURFACE OF SAID HORIZONTAL LEGS, THE ENDS OF SAID CROSS MEMBERS EXTENDING OVER SAID VERTICAL LEGS OF SAID SIDE MEMBERS; AND FRONT AND REAR END MEMBERS EXTENDING BETWEEN AND CONNECTED TO THE UNDERSIDE OF SAID HORIZONTAL LEGS WITH ENDS ABUTTING SAID VERTICAL LEGS. 